2011 February - Part 9

Farewell, Uncle Leo: 'Seinfeld' Actor Len Lesser Dies

Posted 2/17/11 12:45 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Commentary, News

Len Lesser It's an extremely sad day for "Seinfeld" fans today: Uncle Leo has uttered "Jerry! Hello!" for the last time.

Multiple sources are reporting that Len Lesser, the character actor best known for playing the hilariously irascible Uncle Leo for eight seasons of Jerry Seinfeld's hit sitcom, died yesterday in California from cancer-related pneumonia. He was 88 years old.

"Seinfeld," as if it needs to be said, excelled in featuring a vast wealth of deplorable, eccentric or otherwise anxiety-provoking guest stars. Lesser's Uncle Leo ranks extremely high on that list, if not at the very top. After the jump, we're celebrating the brilliant Lesser by recalling some of our favorite Uncle Leo moments.

Tags Len Lesser, seinfeld, Uncle Leo

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James Van Der Beek Joins Television Sitcom As... Himself?

Posted 2/17/11 12:05 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in Commentary, Humor, News

Considering that he's best known for a three second, 10-year-old clip of him crying, it makes sense that James Van Der Beek's next comedy gig is all about himself.

The "Dawson's Creek" and "Mercy" star is making his return to television in the ABC pilot "Don't Trust the Bitch in Apt. 23" as a heightened version of himself, according to Deadline. Considering he's at the height of his comedic career thanks to his Funny or Die videos, it definitely seems like the right direction.

Van Der Beek is far from the first star to play himself, and though we're sure he's got his bases covered, here are some previous examples he could learn a few lessons from.

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Leonardo DiCaprio And Martin Scorsese Reunite For 'The Wolf Of Wall Street'

Posted 2/17/11 11:15 am EST by Terri Schwartz in Commentary, News

It looks like Martin Scorsese wants to snap up his muse Leonardo DiCaprio before Christopher Nolan adds him to the list of "Inception" actors returning for ~~its sequel~~ "The Dark Knight Rises," because now the duo are finally reteaming again with "The Wolf of Wall Street."

The two had been working on this one for a while, but recent reports pegged Ridley Scott as the man to adapt Jordan Belfort's 1990 novel (which also could have meant DiCaprio would be starring in it). Now, Deadline reports that Scorsese and DiCaprio will shoot the film once the director has finished work on "Silence," his summer-shooting adaptation of the Shusaku Endo novel that has Benicio Del Toro and Daniel Day-Lewis attached.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" follows a drug-, sex- and alcohol-addicted brokerage firm operator's rise from a 20-something multi-millionaire in the 1980s to a 30-something federal convict banned from the securities business for life in 1994. This will be Scorsese and DiCaprio's fifth film together, which means DiCaprio is only three films away from being Scorsese's official new muse (since Scorsese and Robert De Niro have done a total of eight films together). Click on after the jump for a quick recap on their previous work together!

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'Wonder Woman' Star Adrianne Palicki Continues 'Friday Night Lights' Cast's Streak Of Success

Posted 2/17/11 10:11 am EST by Josh Wigler in Commentary, News

The search is over, folks: Adrianne Palicki is our new Wonder Woman.

After a topsy-turvy development period—one that still isn't over, mind you—the DC Comics television revival has found its leading lady in the form of Palicki. There's no doubt that her casting is a major coup for the "Friday Night Lights" alumnus and her fans, and it certainly takes the sting out of the cancellation of "Lone Star," the criminally under-viewed Fox series she co-starred in.

While "Wonder Woman" is Palicki's highest profile role to date, there's little question about where she got her start: the fantastic football drama "Friday Night Lights," which has proven to be a breeding ground for excellent up-and-comers. Don't believe us? Just click past the jump and check out some of the other "FNL" vets who've gone on to big things.

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POLL: Taylor Lautner & Michael Bay Teaming Up For New Movie, So What Do You Think?

Posted 2/16/11 6:42 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in News, Poll

Here's some potentially good news for all you Taylor Lautner and Michael Bay fans out there: the "Twilight" star is set to collaborate with the "Transformers" director on a new, secretive film project.

Deadline has the news that Bay and Lautner have pitched their movie to studios, and considering that their untitled project is being described as "Wanted" meets "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," it's a sure bet that the film will be big, loud and action-packed.

But there are sure to be some skeptics among you who aren't wild about this idea, which begs the question: is this collaboration a good idea or a bad one? That's what we're asking YOU to answer past the jump!

Tags michael bay, Taylor Lautner

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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Is Like 'The Matrix' Meets 'Gladiator,' Anthony Mackie Says

Posted 2/16/11 4:45 pm EST by Eric Ditzian in News, Video

It's a story about vampires and American socio-political history set to be directed by a guy best-known for a comic book adaptation starring Angelina Jolie. Which begs the question: just what the heck is gonna go down on screen when Timur Bekmambetov's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" hits theaters in the summer of 2012?

Anthony Mackie, who co-stars as the 16th President's best friend, laid out the answer for MTV News: "'The Matrix' meets 'Gladiator,' " he told us while promoting the sci-fi drama, "The Adjustment Bureau." "A lot of me with a muddy shirt on, slicing dudes open."

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'Lord Of The Rings' Gets Retold From The Perspective Of Mordor

Posted 2/16/11 4:00 pm EST by Terri Schwartz in Commentary, News

When it comes to the biggest, baddest villains in movie and literature history, Sauron and his Mordor hoard from "Lord of the Rings" are easily in the top 10. First off, Sauron is the ultimate evil, and secondly, there just doesn't seem to be anything redeeming about any of his minions.

Yet one Russian novelist felt otherwise. In 1999, paleontologist Kirill Yeskov wrote a novel called "The Last Ringbearer" which revisited the climactic final battle of "The Lord of the Rings" from the perspective of Sauron's underlings. In this version, Gandalf is a war-monger whose sole purpose is to crush the scientific and technological initiative of Mordor while Sauron is forward-thinking by passing a "universal literacy law." It's certainly a different take on the story, to say the least.

Salon recently reviewed the novel in its new English translation, and though they debated whether it qualifies as fan fiction or something greater, the online mag felt the book was a soaring accomplishment all the same. And that got us thinking -- are there other stories begging a retelling from the villains' perspective? The answer is a resounding yes, and we've got our wish list after the jump!

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Take Me Home Tonight' Clip Puts Topher Grace's Life In Danger

Posted 2/16/11 3:15 pm EST by Josh Wigler in Video

It feels like Topher Grace is constantly getting himself into awkward situations with women. Countless episodes of "That '70s Show" speak to that belief, and don't even get us started on that creepy, serial killer-y twist at the end of "Predators." Talk about awkward!

But it's entirely possible that Grace has hit rock bottom when it comes to embarrassing himself in front of a prospective love interest: in this exclusive clip from "Take Me Home Tonight," Grace's character, Matt Franklin, prepares to strap himself inside of a metal ball and ride it all the way down to his potential demise — all in the name of proving to the crush of his dreams that he's not afraid to take a chance.

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Warner Bros. Launches 'Inception' And 'The Dark Knight' Apps

Posted 2/16/11 2:30 pm EST by Aly Semigran in Hot Stuff, News

"The King's Speech" and "The Social Network" might be the frontrunners in the Best Picture race, but there's something its contender "Inception" has a leg up on: an app for that.

In a press release, Warner Bros. announced the launch of apps centered on Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" and "Inception." Now available at the App store, these so-called App Editions give iPad users a new way to experience both films -- and, of course, show them off to their non-iPad-or-iPhone-owning friends.

In a statement regarding the new App Editions, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution President Thomas Gewecke said: "For many, watching a movie is a social activity and App Editions are the first mobile product to deliver this capability on a global scale. They offer a fully connected experience, allowing viewers to engage with others around the world in real-time through Facebook and Twitter. In 2011, Warner Bros. will release a full slate of App Editions including new release and catalog films.”

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'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows' Is Just One Of 2011's Many Surprising Sequel Titles

Posted 2/16/11 1:45 pm EST by Katie Calautti in Commentary, Humor

Sherlock 2 Ladies and gentlemen, we have a title: Warner Bros. has announced that the follow-up to 2009’s “Sherlock Holmes” will be called “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

As much as we love the good detective, we must admit: the new title has us scratching our heads a little bit. We know Dr. Watson has a penchant for gambling. Is the title a cryptic hint regarding his dusky dice-rolling? Perhaps Moriarty, the lead villain, will be perma-backlit – our only hint at his approach, the shadow puppets creeping up behind our protagonists?

Joking aside, it's a sure bet that as more details surface regarding the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel, the title will become much clearer. But for now, we can't stop wondering... is 2011 the year of mystifying sequel titles? Consider the evidence, by way of other recently-announced titles that are surprising, unusual or otherwise tough-to-define!

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